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Other glossaries: BluesNews - "Guide through 3D gaming jargon"

Please post new additions and/or corrections on the QuArK forum.

.AAS

(binary) A file that contains pathfinding information for bots for Quake-3:Arena games. See Area Awareness System.

.ACE

(binary) A compressed archive of files. See http://www.winace.com.

.ASE

(binary) An ASCII Scene Export model, used by Doom 3.

.BMP

(binary) The Windows Bitmap file format for storing graphical images.

.BSP

(binary) A compiled level for the FPS-game. See also bsp and build tools.

.DDS

(binary) A DirectDraw surface. Used by DirectX for textures.

.DEF

(text) A QERadiant or game definition file. Can not be read by QuArK, see .QRK instead.

.DLL

(binary) Dynamic Link Library. Contains executable code, which can be shared/used by many .EXE programs, or one .EXE program can change between different .DLLs to get new functionality.

.EXE

(executable) An executable program.

.FGD

(text) Forge Game Data for WorldCraft. A game definition file. Can not be read by QuArK, see .QRK instead.

.FTX

(binary) A graphics image file format. Used by Heavy Metal: FAKK2.

.GIF

(binary) A graphics image file format. Only supports index-palette images up to 256 colors, but has a very good lossless compression method. (GIF stands for "CompuServe Graphics Interchangable Format".)

.IWD

(binary) Infinity Ward's container/package file, used by Call of Duty 2.

.IWI

(binary) Infinity Ward Image file, used by Call of Duty 2.

.JPG

(binary) A graphics image file format. Supports only 24bit-color images. Uses a lossy variable compression method. (JP(E)G stand for "Joint Photographic Experts Group".)

.MAP

(text) Generic map file. A ASCII-file containing information for the build tools, how they should produce a .BSP file. A .MAP file is typically generated by a map-editor, and it can be edited using a standard ASCII editor. QuArK can read this format, if it is from one of the supported games. Note; some changes have been made to the .MAP format, since the initial Quake-1 .MAP format.

.MD2

(binary) A Quake-2 3D-model with frames that represents different animations.

.MD3

(binary) A Quake-3: Arena 3D-model.

.MDL

(binary) A Quake-1, Hexen-II or Half-Life 3D-model with frames that represents different animations. They are not interchangeable between the different games!

.OL

(binary) A WorldCraft prefabs file. Can not be read by QuArK, see .QRK instead.

.PAK

(binary) A container/package file, which contains other types of files in an internal directory structure. Quake-1 was the first FPS which used these types of files. This is the enhanced version of an .WAD file.

.PCX

(binary) A graphics image file format. Supports up to 24bit-color (RGB).

.PK3

(binary) A container/package file, which actually is a .ZIP file, used by Quake-3:Arena.

.PK4

(binary) A container/package file, which actually is a .ZIP file, used by Quake-4.

.PNG

(binary) A graphics image file format. Portable Network Graphics.

.PY

(program source-text) A Python source-text file.

.PYC

(binary) A compiled .PY.

.QC

(program source-text) See QuakeC.

.QKL

(binary/text) QuArK model file.

.QKM

(binary/text) QuArK map file.

.QRK

(binary/text) QuArK data file. Can contain all kinds of data. Is saved in either binary- or text-format.

.QVM

(binary) Probably stands for Quake Virtual Machine. It's a Quake-3:Arena "game-rules" program, as we know from Quake-1's PROGS.DAT file.

.RAR

(binary) A compressed archive of files. See http://www.rarlabs.com.

.RMF

(binary) WorldCraft Rich Map Format file. Can not be read by QuArK.

.SHADER

(text) A Quake-3:Arena "texture"-definition file.

.TGA

(binary) A graphics image file format. Supports up to 24/32bit-color (RGBA).

.VMF

(binary) Valve's Map Format. Used by the Source Engine.

.VMT

(binary) Valve's Material Format. Used by the Source Engine.

.VTF

(binary) Valve's Texture Format. Used by the Source Engine.

.WAD

(binary) A container file, which contains other files, sometimes only a specific kind of files. Wolfenstein 3D was the first FPS which used these types of files. A .WAD file can not group files into an internal directory structure, use .PAK files instead.

.WAL

(binary) A Quake-2 texture file.

.WAV

(binary) A sound file.

.ZIP

(binary) A compressed archive of files. See http://www.winzip.com.

3Dfx

Company. Creator of Glide. Now bankrupt.

AAS

(abbreviation) Area Awareness System. This allows bots in Quake 3 to find their way through a map.

Add-on

A .QRK file which consists of usefull data, typically new entities and/or textures.

Arg

See argument.

Argument

(value) A value or values seperated by space, that belong to a specific. Can be either numeric or text.

B-Box

See bounding box

Bot

A player controlled by the computer. Short for robot.

Bounding Box

[B-Box] A rectangular 3D area, which can be represented by two vectors; (minimum X, minimum Y, minimum Z) - (maximum X, maximum Y, maximum Z). A bounding box is the smallest box possible that still encompasses everything it's a bounding box of.

Brush

See polyhedron.

Brush Carving

See brush subtraction.

Brush Subtraction

An action to remove parts from a brush, where another brush intersects. It is also know as brush carving.

BSP

(abbreviation) See Binary Space Partitions. ('BSP' is also the name of another map-editor.)

Binary Space Partitions

[BSP] A mathematical method of storing 3D objects in a 'space', so when viewing from some point in 'space', only visible objects are drawn to the viewer, instead of drawing everything, even objects that are behind or hidden from the viewers point of view.

Build programs

See build tools.

Build tools

Programs that are needed to create (compile) a file which will contain the final map. They are commonly known as; QBSP.EXE, QBSP3.EXE, VIS.EXE, QVIS3.EXE, LIGHT.EXE, QRAD3.EXE and QCSG.EXE, but that all depends on the FPS-game. There are basically three steps in the build process, after the map-editor has created a .MAP file;
1) convert a .MAP file to a .BSP without vis/light information,
2) vis (visibility) the produced .BSP file, to optimize in-game drawing,
3) light the .BSP file, so it won't appear completely dark or fullbright.

Call of Duty

[CoD] (game) A FPS-game by Infinity Ward.

Call of Duty 2

[CoD2] (game) A FPS-game by Infinity Ward.

Capture The Flag

[CTF] A team based modification widely played in Quake-1 and later games. Two teams have each their own flag, which they must protect from the other team, but at the same time try to steal the other team's flag, and carry it home to score. Many later modifications have been based upon the same Capture The Flag concept, but 'Threewave Capture the Flag' was the first.

Carve

(to carve) See Brush subtraction.

Carving

See Brush subtraction.

Classname

The name of an entity.

Compile

(map/level) The action that must be performed to create a file of the map which the FPS-game can understand as a level. Typically this includes execution of one or more build tools.

Component

(model editor item) A group of triangles, or Tris, that make up part or all of a model's actual shape.

Concave

When an 2D/3D-object is concave, you can draw a straight line through it, and it can enter the 2D/3D-object many times on its route through, and leaves it just as many times. The opposite of concave is convex.

Console

In most id Software licensed games, you can bring down a console, in which different commands can be typed to perform actions which will affect the game. In most FPS-games, to bring down the console, press the key that is just below the ESCAPE-key on the keyboard. On US-style keyboards it's the ~ (tilde) character.

Convex

When an 2D/3D-object is convex, you can draw a straight line through it, and it enters the 2D/3D-object only one time on its route through, and leaves it only one time. The opposite of convex is concave.

Counter-Strike

[CS] (modification) A multiplayer modification for Half-Life, that uses realistic damage and weapons. Two teams fight for supremacy, and when all members of the opposing team are dead, or the timelimit hits, the round is won.

Crystal Space

[CS] (3D game engine)

CTF

(abbreviation) See Capture The Flag.

Cube

See polyhedron.

Doom-3

[D3] (game) A FPS-game by id Software.

DirectX

[DX] A 'tool' that allows developers to get the best out of computers running Windows. Developed by Microsoft.

Drag Handle

An object that can be used in the QuArK Editors to move something such as a vertex of a poly or model component.

Duplicator

An active (macro) function in QuArK's tree-view, which allow the map-designer to duplicate objects many times, and still be able to edit the master-objects , where the changes will instantaneously be reflected on the duplicates.

Edge

The line where two faces meet, or the line between two vertexes. A dice has 12 edges.

Editing-newsgroups

Editing-newsgroups and Forums can be located through links on QuArK's web site. You can quickly reach this site by going to the question mark '?' help menu of your QuArK Editor.

Elimination

A game-type in which players who have been killed, do not return till the next round. The last player to survive a round wins that round.

Entities

Plural of entity.

Entity

An FPS-game entity, is an object which the player can interact with. Most entities are monsters, weapons and moving doors. Some entities are used to light the level as if you placed an invisible light-bulb in a spot. Other entities, like doors, require that it has some polyhedrons connected to it.

Face

A side/plane of a polyhedron. A dice has 6 faces. See also edge and vertex.

Field of view

[FOV] (console command)

First Person Shooter

[FPS] (-game). A shoot-em-up game where you look through the eyes of the character you play.

FOV

(abbreviation) A console command which allows the user to adjust the field of vision.

FPS

(abbreviation) See First Person Shooter.

Glide

A cross-platform library that allows developers to use 3D hardware to draw/render images. Glide works only with Voodoo cards, and has been discontinued. Was developed by 3Dfx.

Group

In QuArK, a group in the tree-view is a collection of brushes, entities and other groups.

Half-Life

[HL] (game) A FPS-game made by Valve Software. Based upon a heavily modified Quake-1 graphics engine.

Half-Life-2

[HL2] (game) A FPS-game made by Valve Software. Uses the Source graphics engine.

Hall-Of-Mirrors

[HOM] (-effect). The Hall-Of-Mirrors  effect is something you get when parts of the screen in the FPS-game are not updated due to a leak or when your player is outside the level in the void. The effect was introduced with the DOOM game, where it would look like a long corridor, going into the screen, flickering. It looked like a Hall of Mirrors, hence the name.

Hexen-2

[HX2] (game) Based upon the Quake-1 graphics engine.

Heretic-2

[HR2] (game) Based upon the Quake-2 graphics engine.

Hole

See leak.

HOM

See Hall-Of-Mirrors.

id Software

Software company. Creator of Wolfenstein 3D, the DOOM and Quake games and 3D-engines. http://www.idsoftware.com.

Key

See specific.

Key-value

See argument.

Kingpin

[KP] (game) Based upon the Quake-2 graphics engine.

Leak

The most annoying thing you get, when building bsp-maps! A leak (or hole as it is also called), is a place in your map that has a view out to the void.
Think of your map as a giant enclosed bathtub filled with water. If there is a leak somewhere, the water would pour out (even run upwards if you got a leak in the ceiling!), and this prevents the VIS/QVIS program to optimize your map.
If your level got a leak, even just a tiny small one, it's a bad map! So compile often to catch leaks.

LMB

(abbreviation) Left Mouse Button.

Lossless compression

A compression method that allows the exact original data to be reconstructed from the compressed data.

Lossy compression

A compression method where compressing data and then decompressing it retrieves data that may well be different from the original.

Mailinglists

(editing mailinglists) A specialized e-mailing list, which only those who subscribe to it can receive/send messages. For QuArK there exist these three mailinglists; QuArK-News, QuArK and QuArK-Python. To subscribe, go to the forums-page, and follow the directions from there.

Mission pack

(official-) An addon to a FPS-game which usually contains new levels, monsters, weapons and other enhancements. Some mission packs are free to download, others you have to pay for.

MMB

(abbreviation) Middle Mouse Button.

Microsoft

Software company. Creator of Windows, Office, and various others. http://www.microsoft.com.

MOD

(abbreviation) See modification.

Model Mesh

(model editor item) A term used in model editing which describes a group of triangles that make up a model's shape, or component.

Modification

[MOD] A modification can be a total conversion or partial converstion of the original game-flow and/or game-rules. Some modifications are commercial (Official mission packs) others free from the internet (E.q. Capture The Flag, Team Fortress and many many others).

Negative Poly

A QuArK speciality, which allows the map-designer to carve without carving . Meaning, a negative poly will first make its brush-subtraction at compile-time, so the map-designer won't have to control "hundreds" of small brushes.

Newsgroups

(editing newsgroups) A selection of Usenet newsgroups, in where you can discuss map-editing for the FPS-game you're developing. Currently there are these newsgroups in relation to QuArK; rec.games.computer.quake.editing and alt.games.half-life.editing. See also mailinglists.

Noclip

A FPS-game console command, allowing the player to fly freely around, even through solid walls. This is commenly used when examine a map for errors or secrets. Some FPS-games might have a different command than NOCLIP, which performs the same thing.

OpenGL

[OGL] A cross-platform library that allows developers to use 3D hardware to draw/render images.

Partial conversion

[PC] A partial conversion is a modification of the FPS-game's normal rules or levels or sounds or graphics. So it is only parts of the normal game, that is changed, as opposed to an total conversion.

Plug-in

(program part) A plug-in for QuArK, is one or more Python source-files which, when installed, will give new and/or enhanced functionality to QuArK, mainly the map-editor.

Poly

Short for polyhedron.

Polyhedron

Most basicly its a solid cube which is convex. A polyhedron consists of at least 4 faces so they create a 3-sided pyramid, and up to several hundred faces which probably will be something like a sphere. Synonyms that are commonly used for polyhedrons are; brush, cube.

Project

A QuArK project can consist of several maps, models, sound-files, graphics-files, etc.

Pull

To move, adjust or resize a side of an object using its adjustment handle.

Python

The language in which much of the map- and model-editor are written. See http://www.python.org.

Quake-1

[Q1] (game) A FPS-game by id Software.

Quake-2

[Q2] (game) A FPS-game by id Software.

Quake-3:Arena

[Q3A] (game) A FPS-game by id Software.

Quake-4

[Q4] (game) A FPS-game by id Software.

QuakeC

[.QC] (language) A program-language which Quake-1 introduced. It controls the flow of the game, its rules. MODs/TCs/PCs for Quake-1 are coded in QuakeC.

QuArK

(abbreviation) Quake Army Knife.

R_DrawFlat

(console command) Used in conjuction with r_speeds, to see which parts of the map can be seen from which other parts. It's actually a draw everything in reverse .

R_Speeds

(console command) Used in conjuction with r_drawflat, when examining a newly build map for problems. R_speeds shows the number of polygons that the graphic engine draws every frame. A lower r_speed is better.

RGB

(-color) Red-Green-Blue. A pixel on a 24-bit bitmap is made up by the three color-components red, green and blue.

RGBA

(-color) Red-Green-Blue-Alpha. The Alpha is an transparency-value, to indicate how transparent this pixel is. Only found in 32-bit bitmaps. See also RGB.

RLE

Run Length Encoding. A simple compression algorithm, mainly used for image data.

RMB

(abbreviation) Right Mouse Button.

Shape Builders

Are the exact same thing as a Duplicator which allow the map-designer to duplicate objects many times, but are used for individual shapes sometimes in this case.

SiN

[SIN] (game) A FPS-game by Ritual Entertainment. Based upon the Quake-2 graphics engine.

Skin Mesh

(model editor item) A flat, 2D view, group of triangles of a model's shape.

Skin Texture

(model editor item) A flat, 2D view, group of triangles of a model's shape, placed over a texture image file to give a finished look.

Soldier of Fortune

[SOF] (game) A FPS-game by Raven Software. Based upon the Quake-2 graphics engine.

Source engine

A FPS-game engine developed by Valve Software.

Specific

(key) In QuArK, an entity's key/value pairs are called specifics/args. See also argument.

Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force

[STVEF] (game) A FPS-game by Raven Software. Based upon the Quake-3:Arena graphics engine.

Team Fortress

[TF] (modification) A teambased multiplayer game, which expands the Capture The Flag concept with unique features like; specialized playerclasses, multiple and/or different map objectives. Team Fortress exists only for Quake/QuakeWorld. See also http://www.teamfortress.com.

Team Fortress 2

[TF2] (game) A commercial game, based on the same concept as Team Fortress, but greatly expanded. See http://www.sierra.com.

Team Fortress Classic

[TFC] (modification) The same as Team Fortress, but for Half-Life. http://www.teamfortressclassic.com.

Terrain Generator

QuArK's Terrain Generator creates terrain in the editor and can convert other imported terrain for editing as well.

Texture

A rectangular graphics image, that is put on a face. Some games uses their own graphics formats, like .WAL or .WAD, others uses the more paint-program friendly .TGA or .PCX formats. Typically the X and Y sizes of the texture-image, must be in powers of 2 or multiples of 16.

Third person

Instead of looking through the eyes of your character like with first person mode, you're looking over his/her head, and can see his/her back.

Tile or Tiling

The process of repeating a texture image indefinitely.

Total conversion

[TC] A total conversion is a complete change of game-flow and game-rules. There are new levels, weapons, models, sounds, graphics and it might even not be the FPS-game you used to know. An example of a TC is 'Quake Rally', though it uses the Quake-1 program it is actually a racing game. See also Partial conversion, Modification.

Tree-view

A display in QuArK which looks like a hierarchy-tree or Windows' File-Explorer. Usually its the display of the first type in the panel below the compass in the map-editor and the model-editor.

Tris

(model editor item) Abbreviation for triangles that make up a model's shape, or component.

Tuple

A specific kind of list of more than one item within open and closed brackets ( ) that is used in the Python programming code.

Type

A specific kind of item that can be identified with, and assigned to, a key in the Python programming code.

Unreal

(game) A FPS-game made by Epic MegaGames, Inc.. Unreal uses a different method of making/storing maps, which is not compatible with the Quake-engine series. QuArK does not support making maps for Unreal.

Unreal Tournament

[UT] (game)

Unwrapped

(model editor item) A term used in model editing meaning to spread out the shape of a model mesh on to a flat 2D view.

Value

See argument.

Valve Software

Software company. Creator of Half-Life. http://www.valvesoftware.com.

Vertex

A single corner of a polyhedron. A dice has 8 vertexes. See also edge and face.

View

See viewport.

Viewport

A rectangular area containing a representation of the map/model.

Visgroup

A function in other editors to hide/show parts of the level, when designing it. In QuArK the function is associated with a group in the tree-view.

Void

The nothingness  that is outside your level. If you have a leak out to the void, you will see the HOM effect there.

Wally

(program) Wally is a texture editing program. It supports Quake-2 and Half-Life texture formats, and possibly others. See also http://www.telefragged.com/wally.

Windows

(program) Operating system created by Microsoft. QuArK runs natively on Windows.